Raise more funds on social media with these 5 essentials

The social media landscape is ever changing. New platforms, new features, ad targeting changes…the list goes on. 

And as COVID showed us, social media is one of the primary places we can find, reach, acquire and convert our supporter audiences. In fact COVID pushed over 65s to join social media  and they are the fastest-growing group on social media (Pew Research, 2020).

But due to the rapid rate of change on social media, it’s not enough to set and forget your social media strategy. What worked in 2019, is different from what works today.

Here are our top 5 tips every not-for-profit should apply in 2022 in order to build flourishing communities that actively engage & give to your cause…

1. Be authentic.

When you use social media, there is always an impulse to paint a perfect picture.

But depending what channel, this makes you stand out - in all the wrong ways. 

Keep your content close to your cause and be true to your audience.  What this looks like: share stories about your community of supporters, crowdsource content from your online audience, publish unpolished behind the scenes from the field (where respectful) and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. 

World Vision's coverage of the Ukraine crisis in particular has been effective at amplifying the voices of those affected by the conflict. While production is rough, you know you’re seeing this content in real-time. 

While Cancer Research UK are great at highlighting community stories and championing their supporters and fundraisers.

2. Test and learn new formats for your content.

Here’s a trick of the trade: social media platforms favour their latest features in their algorithm. 

This means that when you test new content formats, ad placements, fundraising tools and features, the all-knowing “algorithm” favours your content, and provides higher organic reach. 

So instead of just uploading a basic post, with a photo and a caption, make sure to keep things interesting. We recommend trialing:

  • Facebook and Instagram stories to direct followers and supporters to your website or social feed. 

  • Interaction features such as polls, stickers and buttons to directly fundraise on Facebook.  These interactive features gamify content and encourage engagement. 

  • Different captions / calls to action across ads, 

  • Different posting times 

  • Instagram Collab feature or Facebook crossposting to give your content a wider reach.

  • Video content - Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company) is actually prioritising video content at the moment.  

  • Instagram is all about reels - created to directly compete with TikTok, and because of this, they are prioritised on your feed.

  • Livestreaming  

[note: this list will likely be out of date by the time we hit publish social media is changing THAT fast]

Testing new formats is low-risk and will provide powerful learnings that will help you understand how your audience engage with you.  

3. Don’t be afraid to talk to your community. 

Social media is just that - social! So make sure you discuss, poll and ask your audiences directly for their feedback and input. 

Leverage all the interactive features at your fingertips: Facebook groups, Instagram polls, LinkedIn surveys, or community management in your comments section can do the trick. 

This not only builds authentic and visible engagement on your page, but it also will make your content richer and stronger because you’re using community insights and stories.    

4. Plan for agility.

It sounds a bit counterintuitive, but it’s true - agility and timely responses come easiest when you plan for it. 

Set up processes, a social media policy, community guidelines, a response matrix and anything else that will allow you to be more reactive and agile on social media. 

So when a follower (or troll) comments on your post with a contentious view, when a cause close to your organisation is trending (for good reasons or bad) or when fake news comes around, you have processes and guidelines to fall back on, and respond quickly to. 

This not only protects your organisation, but your supporters as well. 

5. Embrace organic AND paid content. 

It’s true... organic reach for brands on social media is declining steadily. Organic reach on Facebook currently sits at 2% — or less (Hubspot), which means you have to spend on social media in order to reach new audiences. 

But although organic reach is in decline, it still plays a very important role in your digital ecosystem - across always on and campaign season. 

Tailor your organic content so it works harder for you. Anchor your organic content in worldwide trends and conversations and react to what people are already talking about, expand on stories you are telling in your fundraising appeals, feature fundraisers who are kicking goals in your latest peer-to-peer campaign. This way you can provide content that is useful and engaging/valuable at the same time. 

The bottom line? You need a clear social media strategy.

Having a clear social media strategy is important because it means you can empower your team to focus on what really matters. 

It allows you to push back on that board member who says “you should try doing this thing” and helps guide your team on how they should be pushing the boundaries on social.

If you need help putting together your social media strategy for 2022, our social media experts would love to chat! Get in touch today.